This invention relates to escutcheons and, in particular, to escutcheons configured to receive lock cylinders of the type having interchangeable lock cores of figure-8 cross section.
It is well known to mount protective and ornamental cover plates or escutcheons on an exterior surface of a door at the point where the door handle projects outwardly from the door. Typically, escutcheons are formed to include openings for any or all of the controlling members of a mortise lock or bored lock such as the knob, lever handle, cylinder, or keyhole. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,589,691 and 4,389,061 disclose escutcheons configured for use with mortise locks.
One object of the present invention is to provide an escutcheon suitable for use with a lock cylinder having an interchangeable core of figure-8-shaped cross section.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an escutcheon configured to support the keyholed end of a lock cylinder in a recessed position therein so that only the figure-8-shaped front face of an interchangeable lock core at the keyholed end of the lock cylinder is visible to the casual observer once the escutcheon is mounted on a door.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an escutcheon having a figure-8-shaped opening therein aligned with a lock core of figure-8-shaped cross section disposed in a lock cylinder mounted in the escutcheon so that only the figure-8-shaped front face of the lock core, which usually has a rotatable keyholed core plug in its lower lobe, is visible to the casual observer once the escutcheon is mounted on a door while exterior portions of the lock cylinder itself are hidden from view by the escutcheon.
According to the present invention, an escutcheon is provided for shielding a portion of a door panel or the like, the escutcheon includes a cover plate having outer and inner faces. The cover plate is formed to include an axially extending lock cylinder-receiving cavity having an annular rear opening in the inner face and a figure-8-shaped front opening in the outer face.
In preferred embodiments, the escutcheon further includes means on the inner face of the cover plate for attaching the cover plate to a door panel. The attaching means includes a first bolt assembly near the top of the inner face cover plate and a second bolt assembly near the bottom of the inner face of the cover plate. When the cover plate is attached to a door, the annular rear opening will face toward the door to receive a lock cylinder therein, and the figure-8-shaped front opening will face away from the door to provide an open, figure-8-shaped "window" for displaying the figure-8-shaped front face of an interchangeable lock core contained in the lock cylinder.
Interior surfaces of the cover plate define the configuration of the lock cylinder-receiving cavity in such a way as to support the lock cylinder therein so that the figure-8-shaped front face of an interchangeable core in a lock cylinder is positioned properly for display and access through the figure-8-shaped front window opening in the cover plate. Desirably, the cover plate includes a continuous, radially inwardly facing surface configured to define an annular side wall of the elongated lock cylinder-receiving cavity for surrounding a lock cylinder received therein. The cover plate also includes a radially inwardly extending, rearwardly facing surface configured to define a bottom wall of the elongated lock cylinder-receiving cavity.
The bottom wall of the cavity is provided to block forward movement of a lock cylinder inserted into the cavity. Further, the bottom wall of the cavity is formed to include the figure-8-shaped front opening extending through the cover plate so that the figure-8-shaped front opening of the lock core is displayed and the keyway provided in the lock core housed in the lock cylinder can be accessed through the open window provided by the figure-8-shaped front opening.
The open, figure-8-shaped window in the escutcheon of the present invention presents an attractive appearance in that its border frames the figure-8-shaped front face of the recessed, interchangeable lock core contained in the lock cylinder connected to the escutcheon. The sleek appearance of the escutcheon is a result of the fact that neither the lock core nor its cylinder protrude outwardly from the outer face of the escutcheon. At the same time, any decoration or trademark on the upper lobe of the interchangeable lock core's front face is visible to the casual observer through the figure-8-shaped lock core window.
Further, an interchangeable lock core of figure-8 cross section is easily removable from its parent lock cylinder through the front opening of the figure-8-shaped lock core window without removing the escutcheon from its door-mounted position. A conventional control key can be inserted into the core through the window and rotated relative to the lock cylinder to its core-releasing position without removing or otherwise disrupting the door-mounted escutcheon.
Additional objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.